1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to processing chambers sets for independently and/or simultaneously processing multiple samples of biological cells in a processing device.
2. Background of the Invention
Flexible processing chambers (bags) for processing biological cells in a fixed volume centrifuge, and methods for use of such processing bags, e.g., by centrifugation, are known. For example, PCT patent application PCT/US98/10406 describes a flexible cell processing chamber having a rotating seal to keep the contents of the chamber sterile during processing. Flexible processing chambers advantageously are disposable and thus suitable for single-use sterile applications.
For certain applications, such as blood processing including blood component separation, enzymatic conversion of blood type, and pathogen inactivation of blood components, it is desirable to process multiple units at a time, in a single instrument under the same conditions. Simultaneous processing of multiple units reduces the time and expense required to perform such applications. Present flexible processing chambers do not provide the ability to perform independent simultaneous processing of multiple samples.
One of the difficulties in constructing a multiple processing chamber set is the expression of the contents of the multiple chambers. In any processing protocol, it may be necessary to add and remove processing solutions and chemicals during several steps of the protocol. Thus, it is necessary to be able to efficiently remove the contents of the multiple chambers, usually the supernatant following centrifugation, in a manner that retains the integrity of the multiple chambers and the sterility of the contents contained therein. Accordingly, there is a need for a multiple processing chamber set for biological cell processing in a centrifugal device that maintains sterility of the processed cells and provides for efficient addition and removal of cell samples and processing solutions from multiple chambers simultaneously and/or independently.